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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · last · plane · lie · deal · cell · bay · rush

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chip — to eat
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rush — hurry
  5. last — to go on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — finally
  10. chip — for betting
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. plane — a tool
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com